Walter mitchell shelton



finished whip, such as indicated by 2.

siren States ATENT FFICEQ IVALTER l\:[ITCllEIiIi SHEL'ION, OF ATLIIES STATION, VIRGINIA.

WHIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,710, dated December 2, 1890.

Application filed March 5, 1890. Serial No. 342,775. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER MITCHELL SHELTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlces Station,in the county of Hanover and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vhips; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of the invention is to provide a durable shield that can be applied to finished whips and that will be adapted to those of different diameters, the object being to thoroughly protect the whip from wear at the points where the usual socket comes in contact With it, and also prevent rolling in sockcts by a device adapted to be applied to whips of different sizes, whether new or old; and the invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and pointed out.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a broken section showing my improvement applied to a whip. Figs. 2 and 3 are perspectives of devices for securing shields upon a whip, and Figs. 4 and 5 are each longitudinal sections of a shield.

Reference-figure 1 indicates a shield applicable to the butt-end or handle of a whip. It is made, preferably, of rubber or like material, which may be molded or otherwise formed in the shape illustrated in the drawings. It is made of a size to be applied to a In practice one shield 3 is applied to the handle over the butt and another 4 at that point on the whip which comes in contact with the mouth of the carriage whip-socket. Both defend the whip at points peculiarly exposed to wear and also serve to steady it in the socket. A whip with any ordinary finish is speedily frayed out or marred if forced into a closefitting socket, and if it be not close-fitting the whip is not safely held. A shield of this character is very durable and will outlast the ordinary whip. 1 have therefore devised a form that can be applied to a finished whip, and which when the whip is worn out may be removed therefrom and applied to a second one, either new or old, which shield also is adapted to whips of different sizes, both because of elasticity of the material and because of its special construction.

As represented in Fig. 4, the diameter of the shield is contracted at its ends, and its wall is made thinner for the purpose of giving it greater elasticity at these points.

The above-described shield may be made .with one end closed and applied to the butt of the whip. In this case the wall of the closed end can be made sufficiently thin and elastic to expand over the button or end fin ish of an ordinary whip, while the contracted expansible open upper end will readily adapt itself to the handle above. If this form is employed, the butt of the whip is inserted in the expanded upper end of the shield and forced down into the bottom. If, however, the form with open bottom is used, the eX- pansibility of the material and the form employed permit the whip to be entered in the shield in either direction.

The contracted ends of t-heshields above described will hold the shields in many cases with sufficient tenacity; but I have devised an additional safeguard against this removal, which consists in a metal dog or claw 10.

One form of shield-securing device is shown in Fig. 3, and a modification in .Fig. 2. It consists of a piece of metal, preferably elastic, provided with a tooth or teeth 7, bent, substantially as illustrated, at slightly less than a right angle to the main partof the same and provided with a shoulder 8. This device is applied to the whip lengthwise of the same at a part where it is desired to secure a shield. The latter is provided, by preference, with a recess 9 in its interior adapted to fit over the metal dog 10 and having its end or ends 11 adapted to abut against the shoulder 8. The V-shaped dog is intended for use on the butt of the whip, as indicated in Fig. 1. These metal sleeve-retainers are made of spring metal and lie flat on the body of the whip, their teeth being forced into its fibrous covering, and when the shields have been slipped over them and engaged therewith, as above specified, they are securely held thereby, and any attempt to slip the shields on the whip Will fail unless a shoulder is disengaged from its recess. This may be effected by forcing a ICO suitable wedge, wire, or other article under the shield and lifting it off from the dog.

One of the above-described dogs can be used for a secret name-plate to enable the owner to identify his whip when found after having been lost or stolen, or a recess 9 may be made to receive a wooden or paper label for that purpose.

All of the above-described devices are applicable to whips such as are now generally offered for sale.

The contracted ends of the shielchif made quite thin or if expanded considerably upon the whip, may not in all cases possess sutficient strength to hold the shield under all conditions, though they clasp it closely and make a tight joint therewith, and the retaining-dog hcrein described will in such cases furnish a secure t'astenin said dog an elastic shield, substantially as set forth.

2. A whip provided with a toothed dog placed lengthwise thereon and having over said dog an elastic shield provided with a recess in its interior fitting the shield, said shield being normally contraeted at the ends and then expanded on the whip, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signaturein presence of two Witnesses.

AT/PER MITCHELL SIIEL'ION.

Witnesses:

G130. I. HAW, W. M. Jus'rns, Jr. 

